Rifle used in Dallas Ambush was a common SKS; not Assault Rifle or “Assault Weapon”

UPDATE 7/10/2016: The Conservative Outfitters blog has unearthed new evidence, including graphic photos of the dead shooter with his rifle, and that the first reporting of an SKS was incorrect. From the images it appears to be a Saiga AK-74 style semiautomatic rifle. Major media, in this case NBC News, with “multiple police sources” does not know their gun models. ~ AmmoLand Editor

SKS image from WikipediaDean Weingarten

Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)- The rifle used by the Dallas sniper was an antique East Block rifle designed in the 1940's, an SKS.

The SKS was considered obsolete by the Soviet military in 1956, 60 years ago.

It is a simple semi-automatic design that does not use detachable magazines and holds 10 rounds of ammunition. It uses the intermediate powered 7.62 x 39 cartridge, about as powerful as the .30-30, a common deer cartridge in the United States for a hundred and twenty years. From nbcnews.com:

Johnson used a SKS rifle and a handgun in the attack, multiple law enforcement sources told NBC News.

The SKS was imported to the U.S. by the millions as surplus from Russia, China, and other former East Block countries. Billions of rounds of ammunition were imported.

When relations with first China, then the former East Block countries were normalized, trade deals were struck. U.S. consumers got sturdy and simple utility rifles and inexpensive ammunition. China and the former East block got billions of desperately needed dollars.

NBC News is reporting an SKS rifle and a handgun used in the Dallas attack.

The SKS is a reliable multi-purpose rifle that is used for hunting across the United States. In the law, it is treated the same as other rifles, even in the extremely restrictive state of California.

The rifle has a wood stock, no pistol grip, is not black, does not have a muzzle brake, or a threaded barrel. None of those things change the basic effectiveness of the rifle very much.

It is not the rifle, but the man that makes the greatest difference. Any hunting rifle could have been used to about the same effect by the Dallas sniper. Designs from the 1880's would have been as effective for the tactics employed.

He used basic military tactics and skills. Those skills are known to tens of millions of Americans. The military tactics can be leaned in a couple of weekends.

Marksmanship may take a little longer, but can be learned with a simple air rifle. The Chinese use air rifles to teach their school children the marksmanship skills required. Those air rifles are cheap, and have been imported into the United States in large numbers.

Authorities initially blamed multiple “snipers” for Thursday's attack, and at one point said three suspects were in custody. But by Thursday afternoon, all attention focused on Johnson, and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the entire attack appeared to be the work of a single gunman.

A Texas law enforcement official identified the man killed in the parking garage as Johnson. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he said he was not authorized to release the information.

None of the legislation contemplated by Congress would have had the slightest difference on the outcome in Dallas. Attorney General Loretta Lynch made remarks at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time yesterday. From time.com:

And we must take a hard look at the ease with which wrongdoers can get their hands on deadly weapons and the frequency with which they use them.

Rifles are the least used firearms in homicides. Hands and feet are used twice as often as rifles are. There are about a hundred and thirty million rifles in private hands in the United States. The most common type of rifle is the semi-automatic.

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

85 thoughts on “Rifle used in Dallas Ambush was a common SKS; not Assault Rifle or “Assault Weapon””

Mark – the problem is a poster said it could be done in three (3) minutes. I have an SKS that I’ve had for over 25 years and I converted it to a removal mag, but it took a lot longer than three minutes.

I just want to add that the picture is of the carbine model or airborne model of SKS. The SKS has a 10 round mag that some say is permanent but can be made to be removed. It fires the 7.62X39 same as the AK, but I suspect it wouldn’t be very effective at 400 yards. The SKS was developed while Kalishnikov stole the design from the German SturmGehwer SG44 in 7,92 kurz. It was a response to Amerika’s M1 Garand, but was not as powerful of course, but operated at the common range for soldiers in combat (several hundred meters) rather than the range of the M1.
I noted when I heard about the SKS being referred to as a “assault” rifle. The regular sized SKS has a longer barrel but still has the same actions as the carbine model. A pretty good rifle, but not of the quality that we expect from our goobermnt, but the M16 was not the same quality as the1903, M1917, M1 Garand or the M14.

As time passes, technology advances. New generations of rifles are designed with more “combat capability.” Armies equipped with older rifles are “outclassed” by armies equipped with newer rifles.

The term “obsolete” is applied to older generations of firearms in terms of usefulness in modern combat… but not in terms of the weapon’s viability as a useful tool. It can still shoot as fast, accurately, reliably, and safely as it was originally designed to shoot (and can therefor be re-purposed for civilian use… such as hunting, sports/competitive shooting, and personal or home defense).

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m super pro gun and not playing into the whole is or is not an assault weapon, but I beg to differ with those claiming the SKS is not an assault weapon. While the ordinary semi auto AR15 was never designed as such since the rifle was made for civilian use period, the SKS was designed for and used in war. There’s many many GI’s shot with them in Vietnam who would say those Viet Cong used them very effectively as assault weapons to assault them even though they are not full auto or 3 round burst capable as designed. A baseball bat can be used as an assault weapon should one be so inclined… I’m growing very tired of the assault weapon debate since it is meaningless other than to put the target on the gun vs the bad people using them.

Fred – That’s the problem liberals don’t know the difference between a high power rifle and a BB gun. That’s why the laws are so screwed up. Liberals write the law so wide and vague that no one can understand or enforce them. Common since to them means if it’s black it’s bad and that’s as stupid as they are!!

Odd comment by someone that must not know much about the SKS. I have attached the comment here:

Author: Mike McAllister
Comment:
Hunter McClane – I’m glad you have four arms and eight hands because that is the only way to convert an SKS 5 round fixed mag to a 30 round removable! I’ve done it and it’s more like a 20-30 minute job. Try it before tyou blow smoke up everyone butt!!!

I say odd as first the SKS comes with a standard 10 round fixed mag that uses stripper clips to load quickly. Works just fine. Plus for a very little effort and cost that fixed mag can be removed, and 20,30,40, and even a 50 round mag can be installed. That mag can be dropped and replaced with the push of a button. They are a little odd and may take 2 seconds longer per mag change. So I have no idea what Hunter is saying. My BullPup conversion is a little different as it mainly likes the 20 round removable mag. My SKS folder takes any mag and it is easy enough to change. Some of the changeable mags can still be loaded using strippers clips, and 10 rds slip in with about 2 second of effort. These were primary military rifles for years so they have to work and they do.

The NBC article was a pure hit piece on the SKS and the Curio and Relic FFL. According to NBC the FBI identified the killers weapon as a C+R SKS, which seems a little odd in the fact that most media outlets are are absolute dunces about guns, but here they catch this little nuance. Here is another little nuance: Not all SKS carbines are C+R eligible, or at least weren’t at the time they were sold in the eighties and nineties. C+R guns must be over fifty years old. Chinese SKS production lasted well into the sixties, so those weapons would only be coming into C+R status now. I bought my first SKS in 1988 and another in 1993, those carbines obviously were not C+R eligible at that time, as there were no SKS’s before 1945 and no Chinese SKS’s until around the Korean War time frame. I did not know that all SKS carbines have been accepted by the BATFE as C+R weapons. This must have happened in the last few years.

Albanian, Russian and Yugoslav SKS’s were imported as C+R guns. The picture accompanying the article appears to be a stock Russian SKS. Eastern block guns were considered to be better than the Chinese mass production. China seems to have had quality control problems then as it still does now, but I do not complain about the reliability of my Chinese carbines.

There are “dress up” stocks that make the SKS look really cool, and there are detachable mags that work pretty well after modifying the original SKS by disassembling the weapon and removing the fixed magazine. C+R classification only applies to weapons in their original configuration. Adding the dress up kit turns an SKS back into Class One firearm. There was also the detachable magazine version known as the Labanu that was produced for commercial sale in the 1990’s. It akes the very reliable AK47 magazines. These are not C+R eligible and won’t be until sometime around 2040. It would really tickle me if this weapons turns out to be a non C+R Labanu carbine, just because of the NBC story.

Well it appears we still have a lot of unknowns and bad reporting on both sides of this story. In my world there should be a common ground area that we can all agree with and not just promote our own agendas. I skimmed the above and it seems that some writes tried to explain the merits of the SKS in more factual terms, and the author missed all of these points. I own a number of Aks and SkSs. Most of my SKS have been converted to easy in and out 30 round mags, and folding stocks and even a Bullpup. I have left one stock with the 10 round mag, and I have tried a 20 round fixed mag. I have not used them for hunting and in many states that would require a 5 round mag. This same rifle was used against us in Vietnam and other places. I have used the 10 round stripper clips and find that you can quick recharge the mag, and it is about as fast as an actual mag change as the SKS is a little slower then an AK mag change. Power wise, wonderful round if you are looking for penetration, which it appears this shooter was.

So, not to berate the author, but he missed a lot of details and seemed to down play just how good the SKS is, and would have been in this tragic shooting. He appears to be around my age and should well remember Vet Nam and other war type events the SKS was used in since then. Now I don’t know what rifle was actually used, but if it was an SKS lets be factual in our reporting. I Love Mine, and as time allows I will work and play with them more, same with the AKs, fun to work on and work with. Would I have chosen my 7400 Rem Semi Auto in 30.06 with a 10 round mag over any SKS, no, not for what this man’s evil intent was. I think he knew his sniping distance would be under 100 yards or one city block. Let us hope we can come together as one nation under God as it should be. Dave

Well I sure that the families of the slain officers and their brothers on the force as well as people throughout the country are so relieved to know the exact model of the gun used to kill their fathers’ brothers, husbands, uncles, etc. Now that Dean has cleared up the important distinctions and pointed out the media’s mistakes clearing up information of the slaughter they will all sleep easier tonight. In fact, this will help them move on in immeasurable ways that counseling and prayers certainly couldn’t.

Thank you Dean for once again your important contributions that will help heal the nation.

Just my two cents but…
1. the SKS was designed as a battle rifle. It’s in the same category (IMHO) as any other military or militaristic weapon like an AR, AK, FAL, PTR 91, M-1 Garand, etc, etc, etc. Why are we gun-owners saying it isn’t. Doesn’t that put us in the same category as the lib-tards who bend, twist or break the truth? The truth is an Army-trained whacko got a cheap semi-auto rifle and used it for evil reasons. I would like to understand those reasons and don’t trust the media’s explanations.
2. Why do the lib-tards keep stressing that the Dallas Black Olives Matter was a “peaceful” demonstration? Again, IMHO, this guy was either tipped-off about the timing and location of the march or the march organizers were in cahoots with him. A march that ends in 12-14 LEO’s being shot is not an any way peaceful.
Thanks.

Mike,
The AR-15 (which stands for “Armalite,” NOT “assault rifle”) is not – not now, has never been, and never will be – a military weapon. It has never been issued to combat troops… no US soldiers or marines were ever sent to war with AR-15s, which were a civilian design!

When I landed in Vietnam on Nov 8 1965 I was carrying an AR-15 semi-auto with10 round mags. On fob4 1966 I was issued a M-16 select fire with 30 round mags Don’t post on things you know nothing about. I had 10 years in the USMC when I left for Vietnam I think I know what wepon I was carrying

So what is the point? It appears that the rifle used – if the photo is correct – was what is being called an assault rifle (your definition may vary, but that’s what these semi-autos are being called). Big deal if it was called an AR-15. People that don’t know better call my Henry Rifle a Winchester, and call my AR and assault rifle. I don’t get my panties in a wad about it.

Revised my number. Actual gun murder rate is about 19 per million of population. 6000 would raise the number to about 20 per million. Chances are, if no guns were available the murder rate would not change very much. People kill people. Been doing it for thousands of years. It isn’t good but it is what it is.

Gun murders in America 15 per million of population. Does that sound like guns are out of control? My brother told me his 1911 had never once loaded or fired itself. I thought he was lying, but I sat and watched the damned thing for 12 hours and it never even twitched. I concluded that he wasn’t lying after all.

This is a sign of the political climate now with the anti-gunners, gun-banners and politicians seizing every incident as an opportunity to brainwash the sheeple into fearing firearms and acceptance of being disarmed by demonization of any gun calling them an evil, military “assault rifle.” Unfortunately, the American public generally gets its firearm and gun education from watching movies and TV shows depicting endless gratuitous violence where guns never run out of ammunition, they never miss their target, and have a rate of fire that is always “full auto,” ammunition and magazines appear magically everywhere with only the bad guys that are killed. Tell that to the Dallas cops’ families that are burying their fathers, sons, brothers and husbands.
The liberal media would never point out, blame and criticize the mentally deranged, racist killers that are truly responsible for these killings. It’s easier to blame an antique Russian gun.

The picture of the weapon purportedly used by the sniper was definitely not an antique Russian SKS. Mr. Weingarten does not correctly identify the killer’s modern AK style weapon. Why he would make this mistake is incomprehensible. The AK shown is normally a semi-automatic with a detachable magazine that can vary from 10 rounds, up to 30 rounds. The SKS does not have the capability to carry much more than 10 rounds without addition of an aftermarket magazine. It is irrelevant anyway because the SKS was not the weapon used if the photo of the crime scene is legitimate.

That web site is kind of hinkey, they have articles that it states are published a couple of days or weeks ago but if you look at the comments they are from years ago.
I posted comments asking about it and they were almost immediately scrubbed. Other post I made stating fact about the case were left.

This is what the media wants into getting more comments and people made visible. I believe there was more than one shooter and I don’t care if he was shooting a .22, the problem is that we have an administration that is wanting to take away our second amendment rights, create racial divisiveness and promote a UN national police force. Let’s not focus on the the gun used, let’s rally together to keep our country free of tyranny. Pray for the families of the lost officers.

It now appears that initial reports of an SKS being used to kill the police offers in Dallas were wrong. The gun in question appears to have been a Saiga semi-automatic AK-74 with a detachable magazine rather then an SKS as initially reported.https://sofrep.com/58756/dallas-shooter-used-a-saiga-ak-74/

Instead of concentrating on the type of weapon used, why don’t we concentrate on the murderer. It doesn’t matter what he used, only how he got to the point to commit the act. You can not eliminate everything used in committing a crime. Let’s start holding the people who influence these idiots accountable as accomplices. Any one who promotes these acts should be held accountable.

@Ron, you could not be more right. When did some people become so foolish that they think an inanimate object could commit a crime. The other part about influencing is a little trickier due to the First Amendment.

@Dean Weingarten, Geees Dean, with all due respect, do we have to use the terms ” assault rifle or assault weapon”? That is the language of the left. Can’t we use the term modern sporting rifle? Can’t we control the debate?

It’s impossible to tell which of the gun shots are from the sniper and which are from the police, just from listening to the audio. The police have reported that the ricocheting bullets made people think there were more rounds fired than there actually was. The major news outlets seem to think it was an SKS even if some people on here don’t.

While I have no quarrel with Mr. Weingarten’s reporting, I must take issue with the official narrative of a single shooter with an SKS. One sniper? An SKS? Seriously?

The standard SKS has a fixed ten round magazine, which can only be reloaded quickly with the five round stripper clips originally issued with the rifles. There are aftermarket twenty round fixed magazines and conversion kits allowing the use of AK magazines available, so whether or not the shooter had to reload will remain in a grey area until more information is released.

Even so, initial reports were that officers had found themselves caught in interlocking fields of fire from elevated positions. The SKS has an effective range of about 400 yards, and is only accurate to about half of that. Unless the shooter was positioned on the first level of the parking garage right on top if his intended targets, where he would have been immediately spotted and subject to effective return fire, at least some of the shots have to have been beyond the capabilities of this weapon. Shades of Oswald. Who else remembers that TWO rifles, a custom Mauser and the Carcano, were found in the book depository back in ’63? The professional level of target identification and marksmanship is suspect as well. Twelve hits, all but one police officers, in an unevenly lit environment full of shadows, cover, concealment, and running people. Not one shooter, and not an SKS.

Finally, I picked up the headline at Drudge at 1am my time (West Coast, Pacific time), followed the link to NBC Dallas/Fort Worth, where they were running a live stream, the reporter on site stating that Dallas police were still pursuing multiple suspects, and had one gunman cornered. At the exact same time, I had the Daily Mail site open in a separate window (also from Drudge), where they already had names and pictures of dead officers, pics of officers down on the street, and CCTV footage of a gunman shooting an officer from behind at CQB range. Unless their “single shooter” was some sort of super-villain from the X-Men comics, this video would appear to be evidence of additional attackers concealed in the crowd, who took advantage of the confusion while officers’ attention was focused on the fire coming from above. And just how did the Daily Mail get all of this while the incident was still playing out? Anybody remember building seven? You know, the third building at the World Trade Center that did collapse on 9/11, that a reporter announced had collapsed while said building could be seen standing in the background?

Conclusion? False flag (that does NOT mean nobody died; just that we’re being lied to about who and why). Motive? Well, let’s see, Paul Ryan’s gun control “compromise” was on life support in Congress, and Comey had just been strong armed into giving Hillary a pass on treason. An incident was needed to breathe life into the Left’s desperate attempt to disarm us, and distract the media from the most egregious example of rampant corruption in this government we’ve seen yet. How’s that for motive?

Keep some powder dry, people. There’s more and bigger waiting in the wings.

I have come to the same conclusion, we the people are being played like a fiddle. If people will do some of their own intelligent, common sense investigation instead of believing what comes from the bought and paid for media we would not be seeing these so called crises acted upon us. Your lives are cheap, just look how the abortion of millions is taken so casually
5 police officers, 50 @ Orlando, Sandy Hook, 911, San Bernardino, Waco, Ruby Ridge, Oklahoma, Vietnam , etc. etc. etc. Deception, Lies, when masses do not live by absolutes they cannot perceive what is TRUTH

I was here on the ground for San Bernardino. Initial reports were that there were several “teams” running around shooting randomly (shades of Paris), one allegedly even tried to break into the Amazon warehouse but was foiled by security. I found myself sitting at the bus stop in Redlands, on my way home from work. It was around 7pm. The sky was full of military and police helicopters, including two at around 1,500 feet, perhaps 1,000 feet apart, moving toward me together from the Northeast at no more than 30 mph. I assume they were gunships of some sort, military, I think, as they had running lights but no blinkers. I realized they were probably tracking a ground target, which would be moving toward me. A bus rolled up as the chopper to my East was reaching my position, so I jumped on without looking at the number. I figured being somewhere else was in my best interests at that moment. Took me a little longer to get home that night. I doubt we know more than a tiny fraction of what really happened.

John Dunlap – First point is wrong the stripper clip is 10 rounds. I have owned a SKS since the mid 80’s and it is a very nice rifle. Not stamped parts like the AK’s/ Very possible it was an SKS because with the 10 round stripper clip he could have gotten off 30 or more rounds in one minute. With acquiring targets I’d slow that down to 20 rounds, which is still more than enough for 12 hits!

Correction appreciated. I’ve seen the five round clips, but wasn’t aware of ten round versions. I started with the ammunition capacity issue because it is the weakest and easiest to discount. In any event, we are now being told that no, it wasn’t an SKS, it was a Saiga model of the AK-74 with optics. The story is being rewritten on the fly, and we’ll be left to debate minutia for decades, while never really getting to the bottom of the septic tank. What does that remind you of?

Locked and loaded, indeed. I’ve taken an old Norse saying to heart, “trust in God, but keep one hand near your sword.”

@ Jack, Both major incidents have been done by people making the conscious decision to break the law. What are the chances? In fact in 100% of the murders in the history of this world, a person made a conscious decision to kill another human being. Maybe that is a factor?

Great, that will be all the anti-gun libtards need to hear to make them publicly call for bans on ALL semi-automatic firearms, not just the scary black rifles. It certainly won’t make them stop and think that all bans are useless and foolish, like it would a normal person with critical thinking skills.

That does not make it automatic.
It merely makes it accept a magazine.
If you really know that little about firearms maybe you shouldn’t be posting here.
Post your nonsense at whatever anti-gun site’s clueless members will believe such nonsense.

Come on you know to make it go full auto all ya gotta do is put on you ruby slippers, tap the heels three times and believe in fairies.
Oh Hunter, don’t forget to put on a tin foil hat. Cause you are crazy if you think it’s that easy.
Hunter, If it was that easy all the gangs would have been going full auto since the dawn of time.
For the average person it requires a level of precision and tools that they don’t have.

Listen to the tapes and tell me how you can fire 20 plus rounds without stopping to reload and with no actual break in the firing action to make that reload with your claimed SKS? Your article is BS and just goes to your making a claim that an AR 15 or the like was not the rifle used so as to divert criticism away from the AR’s and I am an AR builder and user and wouldn’t make this distinction for whatever Political Prognostication that you are intending!

Did you check independent sources to back up your claim that this article is false? Or are you just ignorant about how any rifle used in a crime that gets such publicity is always an “AR15″ or AK47?” Never mind the fact that this often proves false. The author is well known and respected, and ammoland is not some fringe publication, even if some of its readers are fringe types. (Take a hint?) I will, myself, look at other sources to confirm this important detail, but your obnoxious and ignorant tactic, displaying absolutely zero factual statements, is uncalled for. If you think an SKS can’t be reloaded as fast as any detachable magazine rifle, then you are very inexperienced with the rifle. A commercial hunting rifle with a 5-round mag can, with training, produce a great volume of fire. I don’t believe you really are an AR builder and user, as it is simply not credible that you would be that and an anti-gunner as well. Certainly, an anti-gunner you are, based on your own words. A real gun owner? Not likely.

RC Vic Kerman,
For one, I do not believe that the actual photos of the shooter’s SKS have been released so we do not know if the SKS was:

1) a Chinese SKS with Thumb-hole stock which was sold in the late 80s-early 90s which accepted AK type magazines (I sold these in my gun store during that time)
OR
2) a Chinese SKS with a military issue 20 rd fixed magazine – these had a large star on them (I sold these in my gun store during the late 80s-early 90s – part purchased from many distributors including Specialized Weapons which became TAPCO)
OR
3) an SKS (Chinese, Romanian, Yugoslavian, Russian, etc) which has been modified to accept 10rd, 20rd, or 30rd, etc. American made SKS magazines (made in steel and also in plastic) which could be used as a fixed magazine or removable (these have the large tang in the front of the top of the magazine and I sold these in my gun store during the late 80s-early 90sa)
OR
4) a Chinese SKS which accepts AK magazines (made by Poly-Tech – I sold these in my gun store during that the late 80s-90s as well)

I listened to video footage and the reports I heard did not have 20 or more consecutive shots, but if they did , it could have been a modified SKS or SKS model as mentioned above. I DID see a very blurry image when the shooter shot the cop at close range and it appears that there is a larger magazine in the rifle.

As to your remarks; “Your article is BS…” and “…for whatever Political Prognostication that you are intending!” you shouldn’t be such a jerk with your opinion when you spread BS theories about other guns being used without having much gun knowledge of SKS rifle models..

Mr. Weingarten is a respected member of the firearms community – I doubt that you are..

Lou, I bought a Norinco SKS model M with the thumbhole stock that takes most AK magazines from one of my buddies at my American Legion post about 6 or 7 months ago. It was new and unfired when I bought it and he said he won it in a raffle at a VFW post a few years ago. I bought it from the trunk of his car………..paid him in cash…………..and HORRORS!……………….with no background check at all.

I don’t know why you would take so long to pop in a 30 round clip unless you bought the wrong clip. I use a 30 round banana clip in my Tula made 1953 SKS and with a bullet I can remove it and pop in another 30 round clip or a 100 round double drum clip in a matter of seconds. You must not be familure with the SKS .

I don’t know why people in the Department of Defense or People in Uniform think Military Weapons become obsolete,there is nothing in the Air that makes them obsolete except stupidity. I don’t why they allow exWarsaw Pact weapons in the USA.People that are Naturalized Citizens and Veterans got to take a look and have Pride in Naturalized Weapons manufacturers, and above all if People feel think they have Mental Issues should find another way to solve them.Remember America,Love it or Leave it! The Natives here know the bullshit given by the Government,so if you can’t find a way to solve a problem with Your Neighbor and won’t take a look at yourself to see if your the Problem then go back to where you Came From!

If you had ever fired a SKS would would know it’s a fine rifle. I would like to have one. but for military use it is obsolete same can be said for the M1 Garand. or the British enfeild Fine rifles for hunting or target practice, but obsolete for modern warfare.

Disagree! The M1 rifle with its 8 round clip is perfect for California under its new laws! It has the 30-06 round, and is effective against armored and unarmored individuals trying to suppress anyone’s 2nd Amendment rights.

Speaking of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights, may I remind my LEO friends that their sworn oaths include their swearing to defend those rights? Even if their politico superiors are willing to violate their oaths?

You misunderstand. When it’s considered obsolete they’re stating that in a modern war (like when we transitioned from the Springfield 1906 to the M1 garand) it’s not saying that the previous weapon isn’t viable, it just isn’t a match compared to other weapons based on certain criteria. I mean, there are precision rifles from a few decades ago that are still in use because the newer rifles can’t hold up. So just restating, an obsolete rifle (in this case) is only considered obsolete in a military setting. Give soldiers a rifle with an inferior ammo capacity, not very ergonomic design for practical use?

Disclaimer, I have an SKS myself and I absolutely adore it. So don’t think I’m doing a whole “ha, stupid Russia” thing here. It’s genuinely a good rifle, judt not for military application.

One more time, after the media and gummint hooh hahs falsely blaming an attack on the “dreaded assault weapon”, when FACTS come out it was not one of those at all.

In NO CASE EVER did an “assault weapon” attack anyone. In a very few cases, some deranged misfit selected the Modern Sporting Rifle design as the tool of his choice to commit violence upon others.

One question I’ve pondered for some time: since Stanley (the tool company) make the majority of hammers in circulation, why are not Stanley blamed for all the murders perpetrated by the use of THEIR tools? They’ve never been, and never will, been thought responsible for any homicide accomplished with the use of their tools. Nor has anyone ever suggested restricting, permitting, regulating, registering who owns which models of their tools.

Interesting that you did not refute any of the points Tionico made in his post, just called him a name and posted a video that showed that a rifle can be modified. Any weapon can be disassembled and modified. And apparently you did not read this or any other article that has come out concerning this incident since none of them have reported that the shooters rifle had been modified in such a manner.

Those mag conversions are unreliable. The sks is an old design but much more accurate at range than an AK. He could have done the same with a lever or pump action. In fact a high powered hunting rifle with a scope wold have been. A better choice for sniping

Hunter McClane – I’m glad you have four arms and eight hands because that is the only way to convert an SKS 5 round fixed mag to a 30 round removable! I’ve done it and it’s more like a 20-30 minute job. Try it before tyou blow smoke up everyone butt!!!

Except when their weapons are named in connection with a mass shooting, these companies love that their name is synonymous with a particular style of weapon. Its good for market share. Just think how many people have purchased a Bushmaster brand AR 15, just because of the name. I doubt you’ll ever see Remington complaining about it. I doubt you have any evidence that Stanley makes the majority of hammers. Even if they did, the ubiquitous “claw hammer” has been around since the 16th century, much longer than the Stanley Tool Co. Any questions?

Many gun manufacturers provide firearms for our military and police as well, perhaps we should shut them all down so our troops and cops won’t have guns either. Yes, Bushmaster loves it when terrorist attacks are made with their guns, I mean any publicity is good publicity right? Heck why don’t they just stop selling to cops then and maybe there will be an even bigger body count to hang their hat on? The liberals have twisted your thought process.